A Broken Call
by IvoryNWinholt
Summary: Slade kidnaps Raven with the intent to use her as leverage to get the Titans to do something he wants but cannot achieve with his high profile. What happens when he and our Black Bird find a common ground and start to grow closer during her time of captivity? Will he still keep her just for his own gains? Or will he deny returning the dark titan in favor of keeping her for himself?
1. Raven Kidnapped!

**PROLOUGE:**

He had finally done it. After waiting and watching for months, he finally had the dark titan within his grasp. Incapacitated and ready to be held in his special chamber he had fashioned specifically to nullify her abilities. It wasn't easy; he wouldn't lie and say it was. However, how easy it was to deceive the teens and have them split up never ceased to amaze him.

Having picked a night where he was fortunate that Cinderblock was causing yet another disturbance; he made his own commotion on the other side of the city, bringing Raven and Beasty Boy his way. Quickly dispatching the shifter with a Highpolymer Adhesive that left his stuck to a wall like a bug stuck in gum, Slade quickly directed Raven off further from her team mate and into the trap that awaited her.

To others it may have seemed to complex a trap, one that would probably be labeled 'Overkill' if he were to be honest. However for a powerhouse like Raven he saw it as a well thought out precaution just in case things got a little dicey. Luring her into a compact hallway in an abandoned building that had probably been a computer headquarters at some point, he flicked a switch as he was passing and two giant walls slammed down on either side of his tail effectively locking her in. Before she was even given time to register her predicament as she skid to a stop to avoid slamming into the wall, four small spouts immediately started spewing a purple vapor that quickly filled the enclosed space with a knockout gas that had her under in a manner of minutes.

After five minutes of the vapor drowning our poor Raven, Slade decided she was probably conked out and flicked the switch again to bring up the walls after the vents had sucked the violet smoke out. Seeing her prone, cape covered form he easily hefted her petite body over one shoulder and made his way to the escape hatch he had implemented a few floors up. Jumping onto a nearby roof he quickly made his escape with the slumbering female bouncing against his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Mission accomplished. Now… To push on to phase two of my plan after I have her fully secured in my 'safe'." A dark chuckle leaves his lips, only muffled by the split mask that covered his features from prying eyes. Things seemed to be going a lot smoother now that the Titans felt they were safe after defeating Trigon. If only they knew. Lord, if only they knew!

-x-x-x-x-

Raven woke to the smell of fresh plaster and what she could only describe as a rancid old steam room. Groaning she made to roll over only to find herself with both wrists strapped to bedposts. Growling low she slowly lifted her lids to scan the room, coming face-to-face with stark white walls and only a table and two chairs, excluding the bed she was on.

Blinking back the harsh lights that glared down at her from the roof of the small room, she pulled again on her restraints only to find that they were tightly in place. Centering herself she closed her eyes and chanted her mantra before yanking harshly on the bonds, a small grunt passing her soft lips when nothing changed. Snapping her eyes open in shock she looked up to see there wasn't even a scratch nor a seam out of place on the leather cuffs holding her hostage.

Glaring at the offensive fabric she settled for scanning her surroundings again as she tried to remember how she was put in this predicament. The last thing she remembered was her and the Beast Boy chasing Slade down a dark alley before the green titan was adhered to a concrete wall unable to move or shift his way out. Almost turning back to help him, he told her to keep chasing their nemesis, that he would be fine and would be right behind her once he got free.

Knowing this to be a lie she nonetheless did as he requested, both of them knowing that Robin would throw a tantrum if they let Slade get away once again. Chasing the nimble man into an abandoned building she got trapped between walls and doused with a purple gas. That was all she could recall before waking up in this creepy room. Frankly the amount of white was sickening. Granted she didn't prefer the dark so the lights were welcome, but the color white just seemed so… redundant for one such as Slade.

Hearing the crackle of what she could only assume was an intercom, her lips turned down as a voice she wished she didn't have to hear graced her ears with his smug amusement. "Hello Raven, I hope you are comfortable. You are going to be here for a while; I have some… business I need your friends to take care of for me that I'm sure they can handle without you. A little warning, the room you are in nullifies your powers, so feel free to scream and rant as you wish, your abilities are useless in here save for what you are physically capable of doing."

A dark chuckled filtered through the static; she could only assume he found some twisted joy out of her prone form while she was strapped to the bed. "Well, I am off to make your ransom note, is there anything you would like me to pass on to your teammates while I am at it? Maybe a nice little video of you strapped to your new bed waiting to be rescued like a dark damsel in distress perhaps?"

She blanched at the sarcasm that was so palpable; her features remained smooth and bored even as she shuddered inside at his stupid bad guy routine. _'Can't these guys ever come up with anything new?'_ Pursing her lips she glared up at the roof and tilted her head slightly, "Yea, tell them I said, 'You guys better make him suffer for putting me through this embarrassing position or I will personally make your lives a living hell when I get free.'" Though her tone was monotonous it was plain to see she was being just as sarcastic as he had been only moments before. She knew good and damn well he would do whatever he pleased regardless of her wants. She had only to wait for her friends to find her and set her free before she could rend his head from his shoulders.

An amused chuckle left the intercom after her sass, but that was all she received before she heard the static cut off. Heaving a bored sigh she closed her eyes, deciding to meditate before he deigned to flaunt his awesome smarts to her again. ' _Men and their pride,'_ she swore any of them would hoot and holler if they so much as got their shoelaces to line up symmetrically. Pursing her lips she shook off her negative thoughts and cleared her mind, her mouth outlining her mantra even though no sound passed her lips. What good would it do when she couldn't truly delve into her own psyche while confined in this hellish room?

* * *

 **Hi guys! Thank you for reading! Now i have a bit of info to share right quick before we get too into this. First of all i don't own the rights to these characters, however the plot line and the story are my own. Secondly, I'm going to try and keep the chapters 1k words and up so they aren't too short. I admit some chapters will eventually be longer, maybe up in the 5k+ range, but that is only depending on the situation/scenario i am playing out in the chapter.**

 **I hope you all enjoy my story! Please review or send me a message if you have questions or ideas, and i am always open to constructive criticism! Again, thank you for reading and i hope you stick with me as i grow through this story!**

 _ **\- Ivory out**_


	2. Pestering a Bird

Slade watched Raven for a bit longer after cutting contact. Though he found her amusing, he didn't necessarily find her bored expression when talking to him all that amazing. Granted he knew she kept a reign on her emotions at all times, he couldn't help but wish she gave him more after he had told her about the qualities his little box held. Plus, it would be very funny to watch her finally let things go just because she was frustrated with her current situation. To think that her room with him would be better suited for her to release for once in her life, yet she still kept them bottled and even went so far as to meditate.

Shaking his head, he turned to another monitor and began working on encoding a short video feed of Raven. Looping his voice over the video and muting what few words she had mumbled in her slumber, he gave the Titans his demands and the requirements that were to be met. He was sending them to fetch him a special device that could alter time, though they didn't know it since it was broken up into 4 pieces and scattered in the surrounding cities. They would be required to answer his regular calls via a plethora of burner phones he had every few hours. Just to be sure they were following through on the bargain. If they didn't, he was going to do something to their precious teammate and then send them a video of the outcome.

Harsh, to children of course, but when a man wanted something bad he would do nearly anything to get it. That included hurting a petite half-demon that was part of a group of goodie two-shoes like the Teen Titans. Finishing up some details on the video, Slade finally felt confident to send it and donned a disguise before travelling to the nearest pizza delivery place. Ordering a large pepperoni, he slipped the DVD into the box before handing it back and telling them to deliver it to Titans Tower. Ignoring the odd looks he was given at his request, he made sure they obliged before taking his leave to return to his hideout.

Shucking off the disguise and tossing it into a nearby dumpster as he passed, Slade whistled softly and stuffed his hands in his pockets, a content smile lifted the corners of his lips. It wasn't every day that one of his plans went so smoothly. Figuring it would take the pizza guy a good half hour to deliver the pizza, since the titans lived on an island, he figured he could enjoy pestering his captive. Debating on how best to ruffle the little bird's feathers, he walked past his security systems without much difficulty since they were tuned to his biometrics and settled in the chair before his computers.

"Hm… She seems to still be meditating…" He mumbled to himself as he clicked on her camera feed, filling his monitor with her form still tethered to the bed. A slow curl of his lips and he was up and moving to the giant box in the center of his stronghold with a purpose. Having gained an idea on how best to irritate his guest to entertain himself, he couldn't help the small, dark chuckle that passed his lips as he took off a glove and pressed his hand to the scanner beside the concealed door.

Stepping into the stark white room he waited until the door closed behind him with a soft swoosh before settling in on a chair beside the table. "Hello Raven, how have you been enjoying your new accommodations? Cozy? Relaxed? Perhaps you are growing hungry? It has been a good eight hours since I snatched you up from your team." Tilting his head as she ignored him by keeping her eyes closed and her breaths even, his lips twitched with amusement as he settled his chin in his hand and just stared at her waiting for her to finally acknowledge him.

-x-x-x-x-

Raven felt an influx of air as soon as the door opened. Scanning the aura that entered, she grumbled to herself mentally as the nuisance sat at one of the chairs beside the table. Ignoring his taunts, the glee of her current position apparent in his voice as he spoke, she continued to try and focus on meditating.

After a good ten minutes of him being silent and her concentration continually fracturing with every bored sigh he made, she finally gave up on continuing her meditation and cracked her eyes open to stare at him blankly. "What do you want Slade? Can't you see I'm busy right now? I'm sure you have something better to do. Steal a child's candy, pillage a village perhaps?"

The sneer was evident in her voice but her face and body gave nothing away as she continued to stare at the bi-colored mask. Hearing him heave another sigh she arched a brow as he leaned back in the chair and stretched his legs forward getting more comfortable.

"Oh Raven, if only you knew how boring that would be for me. This is by far more entertaining than if I went to wreak havoc on your little city while you were… preoccupied." Hearing the smile in his voice her hands twitched as she held back the urge to sink her nails into her palm. The first instinct she had was to lash out with her powers, but when that wasn't forth coming she itched to beat that smug look he no doubt had right off his face.

"You disgust me… If I wasn't in this foul room I would have you sucked into hell right this moment. I'm so sick of your games, why can't you just be a good boy and get caught easily like all the others and settle for your future in jail?" Snapping her mouth shut as she realized she had said this aloud, she rolled her eyes as he broke out into a giddy chuckle. "What's so funny?" She growled, her irritation becoming apparent as her brow furrowed and her glare doubled.

"Oh, nothing really, just that you think after all this time and all the effort I put in that I would just roll over and let you children do as you wished. Contrary to your leader's belief I have always had a bigger picture in mind. Everything I have done up 'til now and everything I _will_ do is all for a bigger picture." Scratching the back of his head even though he barely felt it through the mask, he couldn't help but arch a brow as he watched her face smooth over. All hints of her frustrations wiped away as she turned away from him to stare at the roof again.

"I figured as much, contrary to popular belief my mind isn't always immersed in a book or focused on fighting the darkness within me. I knew after the first few events that you were working for a more intense ending to our little rivalry. Robin doesn't see it yet but I have found over the years that letting him come to his own conclusions has a tendency to thwart, even prevent some catastrophes from coming to fruition."

Looking back at him, she scanned his aura again even as the wave of curiosity that flowed from him washed along her skin like a soft sigh. "Did you really think at least one of the titans wouldn't see through your 'clever rouse'? Come now, you have to be smarter than that." Her lips twitched at the corners as a spike of frustrations warmed her skin, "There we go; now you catch my drift. So tell me, what exactly _are_ you planning, hm?"

* * *

 **Hi guys! thank you for reading, I know they aren't lengthy chapters, and i know at some points they are going to be a bit out of character, however this is my first time writing a** fic **about Deathstroke! *squeals***

 **Please bare with me in this adventure into my rendition of Slade and Raven coming to a wobbly beginning! I hope you all enjoy and please keep sending me more reviews! I could use all the help i can get to make sure i do the characters proud!**

 _ **\- Ivory out**_


	3. Bring her Back!

The team was in panic mode. Beast Boy was freaking out while Starfire was using a mixture of lemon juice and baking soda to get the goo out of his hair; his claims to save Raven filling the room. Cyborg was silent as he tapped away at the computers. His grunts of agreement at Beast Boy's promises were the only noise coming from him as he hacked into the city's street cameras, hoping to see Raven or Slade while he was carting her off.

Robin was pacing as he waited for Cyborg to give him the verdict on whether or not they had a lead for where she had been taken. Though no one had said as much, they were all pretty certain she had to have been kidnapped. There is no other way she would have left without saying anything to them. There was another possibility… But no one was willing to verbalize it; for fear that it would come true. Holding on their faith that their friend was okay was the only thing keeping them from going bat shit crazy.

Hearing the sensors go off, Robin jogged over to look at the camera that monitored the front entrance to see a pizza delivery guy. Arching a brow he looked at Cyborg who just shrugged and went back to scanning the video feeds. Looking over his shoulder he asked Beast Boy or Starfire if they had ordered any pizza.

"No way Dude! I'm too busy thinking up ways to apologize to Raven after we get her back to even _think_ about food right now!" Beast Boy grumbled, throwing his hands up in exasperation that their leader would even think he would do such a thing. When Starfire just shook her head no, Robin got this sinking feeling in his stomach and made a beeline for the front door.

Scanning his hand on the panel, he stepped out to meet the pizza guy and arched a brow, "Can I help you?" he asked as he crossed his arms over his chest. The pizza guy pulled out a box and started handing it to him, "I got a delivery for the titans, a large pepperoni pizza."

Raising both brows at this, the boy wonder took the pizza and opened it in front of the other male to inspect said pizza. It was indeed a pepperoni, but taped to the top of the box was a disc with Raven spelt out in all capitals. Frowning, he thanked the guy before slamming the door in his face and rushing back to the common room. Hustling Cyborg out of the way, he called the others over and put the disc in the computer. Switching the TV on, he routed whatever data popped up onto the big screen for them all to see.

Soon an image of Raven tethered to a white bed in a white room seeming to be asleep appeared. Before anyone could say anything a familiar voice filtered through the television's speakers. Beast Boy and Robin both tensed, Starfire leaning into their leader's side for comfort as Cyborg's hands fisted in frustration.

"Hello Titans, can I just say, it's been a busy night for us all." A dark chuckle filtered through the pause as Raven shifted on her bed, her brow furrowing with displeasure. "You see, I have something you want, and you my dear titans have the ability to get something I want. I propose a trade. You gather these four objects I desire and your companion will be safely returned. Not a single hair on her head harmed." The image shifted, half the screen still containing a feed of Raven as four images took up the left side of the TV. Each object was slowly spinning to show what all angles looked like.

"Now, I know you think this is unfair, but trust me, I'm sure having her safely returned to you is more important than these objects are to their owners. There is just one catch. I will be checking in with you every few hours to make sure you are doing as I requested. I expect you to procure these items without being caught. I'm sure none of you would like to be labeled criminals." Another chuckle filtered through before Slade continued, the screen returning to a full image of Raven shifting uncomfortably on the stark, white sheets again.

"Oh, and if you aren't putting your full effort in… let's just say the next video you receive will not be as pleasing as this one. There might be, say, a lot more color involved." His dark laughter was the last they heard before the video ended. All of the titans stood with their eyes wide and a tight fist gripping their souls as they realized just how dire their predicament was.

"Friend Robin… Does this mean that… Friend Raven is going to get hurt if we cannot get Slade the things he wants fast enough?" Starfire's timid, if a little skittish voice filled the void, snapping them all out of their trance. Everyone looked to Robin, though most of them knew they already had the answer if Slade's last promise was anything to go by.

The boy wonder bit his lower lip and ran his fingers through his hair messing up the perfect spikes as a heavy weight, not the least of it being guilt, settled on his shoulders. "I don't know Star, but I can assure you one thing. He isn't going to get away with this. Cyborg, see what you can find out about those four items he wants us to get. Beast Boy, why don't you and Star go check out where you last saw Raven again, see if you can pick up her scent and follow it? I'll make a few calls and visit the prison to see if I can't get some information out of Slade's acquaintances. Who knows, maybe they can give us some insight into what he is planning."

Turning from his team after they all nodded and started on their individual projects, he looked out the bay windows to the sea. As if rubbing it in his face how easy it was to steal one of their most powerful members right from under their noses, Jump City's lights in the distance beckoned to him like a smug child. "We will find you Rae, don't worry. Just stay strong." Pursing his lips with determination, he turned from the windows and made his way out of the common room to his own office to make those calls he promised.

They would find her. They would find Raven. Even if they had to tear this whole city apart to do it, they would succeed. After everything they had been through, after all of them growing so close to their recluse of a friend, they weren't going to let some villain get the best of them. Raven was family. And _no one_ was going to split this family apart. _Ever._

* * *

 **Hey Everyone! Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed and please feel free to review!**

 _ **\- Ivory out**_


	4. Lost a Second time

Slade had left his hideout to go get groceries, preparing ahead of time to feed himself and another as he waited for the titans to come through with his demands. He was pretty sure they would considering how attached they were to the dark bird.

Turning a corner he paused in his stride as he caught sight of Starfire and a green basset hound he could only assume was Beast Boy sniffing around. Arching a brow behind the disguise he wore of an elderly male, a slow smile lifting his lips as an idea came to mind.

After stashing his loot and disguise somewhere he considered safe, he snuck up on them by staying downwind. Ironically it was a night that wouldn't favor the teens as he had happened upon them while already out of Beast Boy's range. Stepping up behind them soundlessly, he looked around Starfire to watch the dog sniff at a stain on the concrete with interest.

"You know, if you wanted to find her you should have done this earlier. I already sanitized the area so you couldn't track us."

Both titans spun around, Beast Boy instantly shifting back to his original form, and struck their defensive positions as they glared at him. "You will return friend Raven this instant, please. She is important to us and we do not like her being held captive!"

He tilted his head and looked at the green titan, "Does she always try to reason with villains before fights?" Though he wasn't really interested in the answer he was still curious nonetheless since she seemed to do this every time they had an encounter.

"Dude, don't hate on Star's speech man. She would rather there be no fighting and everyone have fun. But then jackasses like you show up and she has to get violent 'cuz you guys won't give humanity a break!" Cracking his neck side to side, the little green monster readied for the fight already having an animal in mind.

Slade's brows lifted at the outburst, a soft chuckle passing his lips before he struck out with his left foot punting the mouthy child across the alley. "You know… I think you are right about that." The sarcasm dripped from his voice as he dodged a glowing punch, dancing back a few steps as the alien princess advanced with a menacing air.

"Aw, did I mess up your date?" He taunted as he tossed a few explosives her way, ducking into the shadows as she coughed and flew above the smoke to look around for him. Hearing a low growl he looked to his right, coming face to face with a giant green bear. He barely had time to react before it lashed out, tossing Slade across the way into another building.

Shaking his head, he stood up and proceeded to run, using his training to dodge the green bolts as well as the animal that chased him. He ducked into another alley and jumped into a pile of trash next to a dumpster, watching them pass. He waited a good ten minutes, hearing their distressed voices grow more distant before he stepped out. Dusting himself off, he used the shadows to make his way back to his belongings. Gathering them up and donning his camouflage, he made his way back to his base without another encounter.

After putting away the groceries and taking a quick shower to rid himself of the stench from the trash bags. He walked into Raven's cell and plopped down on a chair again, "I had an interesting night. It seems your friends are more worried about finding you then they are following my instructions. So, in that sense, if they don't make progress before I call them in a couple hours I'm afraid you and I are going to get a bit more personal. But don't worry I won't hurt you too bad."

The only response he was given was a silent glare. He had to give it to the half-demon; her intense gaze could send shivers down a man's spine. Tilting his head he huffed and leaned back against the wall, settling in as if he had nothing better to do. Granted, this was true but she didn't need to know that.

-x-x-x-x-

Watching as Slade walked in, she cracked her neck and knuckles as he sat down and filled the silence with his haughty words. Her arms had long since gone numb, body starting to get tense after being in the same position for so long. Though the news brought her a bit of peace, knowing they would work hard to find her, she couldn't help but sink her nails in her palms when the subtle threat filtered in.

Glaring at him, she kept her eyes locked on his one visible eye for a few moments before finally moving after so many hours. Bringing her knees up, she pushed herself to the head of the bed and sat up, leaning against the wall. Earlier she had noticed the leather cuffs had rotators on them so she could do this, but had she been too stubborn to move 'til now. _'The day he thinks he has riled me will be the day I send his soul to hell. Happily.'_

She ignored the pins and needles that encompassed her arms as the blood instantly rushed to her fingertips. Though uncomfortable, it wasn't unpleasant. Taking a deep breath she looked at her captor and arched a brow, "So basically you told them that if they didn't do as you wanted then I would be harmed correct? Seriously… when are you villains going to come up with something new?"

-x-x-x-x-

Her reluctance to show any emotion and the husky tone of her monotonous voice grated on his nerves even as it intrigued him. Crossing his arms over his toned chest he leaned his head back to rest against the wall and looked to the ceiling, "I'm sure when the same tactics become null we will all find something new. It is one of the many perks of being a villain. We attack those the good care for and get them to commit crimes for us to save the ones they love. While handy in some cases where we cannot do something ourselves, I think we would still do it regardless since seeing you guys flounder and stress amuses us to no end."

Getting up to make his way to the door, he looked back at her, smiling beneath his mask at the image she created of a trapped bird. He gave her one more comment before the door shut behind him, "Enjoy the quiet, I know you prefer silence and peace to the screams that I am sure will soon come thanks to your so-called 'friends'."

* * *

 **Hey Everyone! Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed and please feel free to review!**

 _ **\- Ivory out**_


	5. Let's get to it!

Starfire and Beast Boy landed on the concrete roof of Titan's Tower. Their faces held nothing but shame and disappointment at the failed mission. Not only did they let Slade get away _again_ , but they also failed to track down his scent or Raven's.

Heading towards the common room, they both stopped in the doorway and looked around. Robin was still talking on his communicator to a contact while Cyborg was still piddling around with the computers, trying his best to find _anything_ to help them out. Starfire was the first to make a move, clearing her throat for their attention.

Beast Boy winced as they both whipped their heads around at the sound and started to rush over with the hope for some good news. Scratching the back of his neck with shame, he looked down to the floor and ignored their curious stares that bounced between their downtrodden friend and the alien princess who looked much the same.

"You… didn't find anything did you?" Cyborg asked quietly, his eye widening as they both flinched and looked away. "What happened? You two wouldn't be acting this way if something didn't happen." Reaching out to lay his hand on BB's shoulder, he frowned when his best friend stepped back to avoid the contact, his eyes lifting to look at him with a blank stare.

"We could not find a scent on friend Raven or Slade. Beast Boy thought he had caught something when we were suddenly attacked by Slade… He got away…" Star whispered as she hung her head and dropped down to stand on the floor in sorrow.

Robin and Cyborg looked at each other and back to their comrades with wide eyes as understanding finally hit. "We should have come with you. If there had been more eyes and more able bodies' maybe he wouldn't have gotten away." Robin spoke, though he didn't realize how hurtful his words had been, making the two before him feel incompetent.

The harsh words brought tears to Starfire's eyes, but they only seemed to enrage Beast Boy as his hands formed fists and his lips curled in a snarl. "Oh yea?! And how exactly do you think you two could have done better? Cyborg would have blown Slade to pieces if he even got a shot in, losing our one ticket to finding where Raven is. And you probably would have fought him to the point of frustration. Then make a mistake that would get you knocked out or hurt too badly to do any good while _we_ look for whatever these stupid items Slade wants are!" Running his hand through his green hair, he growled and swung around to stalk to his bedroom, having had enough of Robin always making it out like everyone on the team wasn't as good as he was.

Cyborg looked between the two and watched with a worried gaze as Beast Boy stormed away. "Maybe he is right Robin. You were a little harsh, even if your words weren't meant to harm their feelings. Maybe next time think before you speak to the people you live and work with." Shaking his head he followed after his friend in the hopes of calming the changeling down to get more answers out of him.

 **Two Hours Later:**

Cyborg had finally calmed their green friend down and coaxed him back to the common room. By this time Robin was back on the phone and Starfire was cooking in the kitchen. Nothing good, they were sure, if her past creations were anything to go by.

"Alright guys, when you are all ready, I found something earlier about those images Slade sent us." Moving over to the computers, Cy booted up one that had been idling and brought up a chart with each of the pictures in them along with a short summary of his findings. Moving it onto their big screen TV so all could see, he stood up and pointed a finger. The tip flipped back and a laser soon appeared on the screen to show them which item he was going to start off with.

"So far as I can tell, none of these things have anything in common. The first item he wants us to acquire is clock hands from a clock tower in East Jump City. We can get Titan's East to help us with this. They are allies and would probably jump at the chance to help us get Raven back." At all of their nods, he moved his laser onto the next image in the chart.

"The second thing he wants us to get is the school bell from West Jump City's high school. This one I have to admit is odd in itself because I mean come on… Who in their right mind wants a school bell?! I can understand if you are still in school and you wanna cause a riot by stealing it, but this is just weird!" Shaking his head he continued on without a breath.

"Next is a little trickier. He wants us to steal a Pearl that is in Wayne Enterprises vault in South Jump City. Robin, I know this will be hard for you since its stealing from your old mentor. I mean, we could ask him to lend it to us. We can do odd jobs until we can pay it back even, but to be honest, with all the questions he asks every time you ask him for assistance, I think stealing it would be faster because who knows how long he could take?" Wincing as he saw Robin's brow furrow in thought, he moved on knowing the boy wonder had a lot to think about now since one of the items was in the possession of someone he respected dearly. He knew this wouldn't sit well on their leader's conscience, but this was Raven they were talking about. The whole team would do anything for their friend.

Clearing his throat, he moved the laser to the last image and the one that broke his heart the most, "Last we have the Neon Sign from our favorite pizza joint in North Jump City…" Hearing Beast Boy's wail he sympathized, but continued on; "Even though I am reluctant to deface our favorite hangout, I feel we still must if we want Raven back with as little damage as possible to her." At this everyone grew silent as they all recalled Slade's promise to hurt Raven and send them another video of her beaten and bruised if they didn't do as he asked. Their motivation renewed, they all started to think about how best to acquire all these things with as little damage done to their precious city as possible. It obviously wouldn't be that easy, especially since they were heroes, not thieves. But when a friend is in trouble, almost anyone is liable to do crazy things to help them out.

Robin was the first to act on this, "All right, I think Cyborg should go scan each of the destinations and look at blueprints of the buildings to get a feel for our best way to get through this with as little publicity as possible. That and scanning what we have to steal might give us a clue as to what exactly he wants these items for."

Cyborg nodded and shut down the computers after logging everything away before heading out of the common room to get the T-car ready. "Star, why don't you and BB head to Titan's East and see if you guys can get them to help us out with the Clock Tower?" At their nods, he gave them a reassuring smile and put a hand on both their shoulders, "I'll call up Batman and ask him for his advice as well as do some research on each place we have to infiltrate in case that gives us a clue."

Squeezing their shoulders for comfort, he made his way back to his room to get started, leaving their pink and green members standing alone by the couch. Beast Boy looked up at Starfire and shrugged before he started to head for the roof. They had a long flight ahead of them, and it would take them most of the day to get where they wanted.

* * *

 **Hey Everyone! Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed and please feel free to review!**

 _ **\- Ivory out**_


	6. Broken Bird

Slade figured it was about time to call the Titans. He had given them majority of the night to figure out what it was he wanted. Granted, he doubted they truly understood just what he asked of them, but who was he to judge the less fortunate. Not everyone was blessed with his enhanced motor capabilities. Especially when it was a group of teens that thought they could go around saving the world just because they had one forte or another.

Making his way towards Raven's chambers, he paused outside her door, debating on if he wanted to alter his plan just a tad; if only to hear their reactions over the phone. Finding the thought more appetizing then what he previously had planned, he waltzed into the young Titan's room and perched on his favored chair.

Raven looked to the man that had been keeping her prisoner most of the night and what she could only assume into the morning. Having no clock and no way to use her powers left her without a sense of time in this barren room, which by the way, really irritated her. Arching a brow as he just sat there for a moment with his head in his hand staring at her, she rolled her eyes and went back to meditating.

Slade Wilson found riling up someone who was known to be emotionally dead to the world more entertaining as each day went by, but tonight he had a bit more in store for her. "I am going to be calling your comrades soon Raven. I was hoping you would play a part in this call if they so happened to be resistant or slow in gathering the things I require." His husky tone filled the void of silence as his prisoner slowly opened her eyes once again to glare at him. Having gathered the hint that he gave, she figured soon she would have to endure whatever pain he was going to inflict on her while her friends listened.

"You're a sick bastard. I'll give you that. But I do have one question. What do you want from my team? Why go through all the trouble to have them collect something for you? I doubt you are incapable of getting whatever it is yourself." The quiet timbre of her voice finally filled the space between them as he lifted his head and tapped at what could only be the chin part of his mask as if in thought.

"You know Raven, those are all good questions. However, now is not the time for such trivial matters." Whipping out a burner cell, he dialed the Titan's central number. "It's time to see if your friends took me at my word and started on their little hunt, or if they wasted their time and left you to my own wicked devices." His soft chuckle filtered through his mask as the phone rang, a familiar voice soon picking up. "Hello Robin. Have you gotten one of the things I ransomed yet?" He cooed as he kept eye contact with the seething female across from him.

She didn't like being blown off, especially by someone that was as aggravating as Slade. Even as she was growing more irritated with him by the day, she had to wonder how her team was taking this. She doubted Robin was handling it with a level mind, it being Slade and all. Knowing the others, Starfire was probably frantic with worry while Beast Boy pestered Robin to come out of his office. Cyborg was obviously the only calm spirit in that whole tower, no doubt gluing himself to his technology as he tried to find something on Slade. Hoping for some clue in the psycho's demands that would lead them to Raven, he was most likely doing research on Slade's demands in case he wasn't so lucky in the clue department.

It wasn't like this was the first time he had tried to use one of the Titan's to get what he wanted. If Raven was honest with herself, this was the second time he had used her since the Trigon incident. Which added to Raven's flames as she listened to him talk on the phone about what was to happen if they didn't come through.

Having listened to the boy wonder's half-assed excuse as to why they didn't have even one of the items yet, Wilson just rubbed the back of his head and stood up as he stretched. "Now Robin, you do remember what I said I would do if you played around right?" came his menacing response as he took a few steps closer to the pinned bird.

"Tell me Raven, how would you feel to know that your friends haven't even figured out how they are going to procure my requests, let alone acquired one yet?" Hearing the soft gasps in the background that no doubt came from the alien princess as he subtly let them know their friend was right in front of him, making him smile.

Raven just glared and pressed her lips together, not wanting to feed his twisted pleasure at her friend's struggle. It was bad enough he was going to hurt her where they could hear, but to add to it by letting them hear her talk before he did so was a cruel mind game she wasn't interested in playing.

"Come now Raven, don't tell me you are so upset you can't bring yourself to answer. Tell them Raven, tell them how disappointed you are that they haven't come for you yet. Tell them how upset you are that I'm about to hurt you because they didn't do what I so kindly requested."

Hearing the growls from the other side of the line and the frantic wails of her other teammates, Slade laughed and stroked a gloved hand along the girl's cheek softly. "Would you like to hear Robin? I bet you would. I'll let you hear her pained cries as I punish her for your transgressions." Pulling the phone from his ear he put it on speaker and set it on the headboard as he leaned in and gripped the dark Titan's chin between his strong fingers.

"Do you wish to hurt me Raven? If so, good, because I'm sure once I'm done with you tonight you are going to wish you could kill me." Releasing her chin he lifted his left hand to his ear and brought it across her cheek, backhanding her so hard her head snapped to the side as a pained grunt left her lips.

Grabbing her by the hair, he brought her head up to look at him once again as his free hand stroked her swelling cheek, "I love the fire in your eyes, but don't try to fool me little bird, I can see the pain hidden away from that one hit. Give in; I want them to hear how much their thoughtless actions cause you pain. Who knows, maybe it will give them more incentive to find what I want and save you from me." Keeping her hair gripped tightly in his hand, he pulled back his fist and punched her in the gut, hard. This time she gave a small gasp that melded into a moan of pain. A small trail of blood left the corner of her mouth as he released her hair to let her head fall forward as she curled in around her wounded guts.

Lifting the phone from the top of the bed, he pressed it closer to her ear so the sounds of her distressed team filled her mind. "Hear that Raven? They finally realize I don't mean to play around this time." Taking the phone off speaker he lifted it to his ear again and walked away from the girl, "You have 8 hours before I call again Robin. And this time… you better have at least one of the things I asked for or your teammate will receive more than just a few hits. Don't forget, I have more than just my hands that I can hurt her with." Hanging up before the boy wonder could respond, he turned to look at his ward, and grabbing a white cloth from a drawer under her bed, dabbed at her face to remove the blood as she glared at him through her hair.

"Don't look at me like that my sweet little black bird. I am not the one to blame. Your team is since they decided to mess around and try to find you instead of just doing as I asked." Done with cleaning her face, he tucked the rag away and headed for the door. Turning back at the last second to look at her again, he smiled and gave her a two-fingered salute before the door shut behind him. All in all it hadn't been a bad night. He got to see Raven try to resist, and he got to hear the stressed cries of the Titan's on the other end of the phone as they could only imagine what he had done to their comrade. Yes, altering his plan had been a good idea, a very good idea indeed.

* * *

 **Hey Everyone! Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed and please feel free to review!**

 _ **\- Ivory out**_


	7. Stand Tall

They had heard ever single gasp. Those muffled grunts of pain as each blow landed. If their darker comrade had been in the same room… she would have no doubt felt the palpable rage and horror that permeated the air. They had failed her… they assumed it had been a bluff. They had assumed just gathering information instead of instantly jumping into thieving certain products would be enough to keep her safe.

Oh, the Titan's had been so very… very wrong.

Starfire had her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide, struck with horror as she could almost feel each blow that landed on her Azarathian friend. On her world, someone would be punished with the Glorknax treatment for torture if they were not part of the royal guard. This… this would not be tolerated! There was a shift in the air as her eyes started to illuminate with her power, the horror shifting to rage quickly as Slade's final words filtered through before he abruptly hung up.

Once the call had ended, there could have been a large explosion and none of the inhabitants of Titan's tower would have moved. They all stared blankly at the phone connected to the main computers. Their blank expressions, eyes filled to the brim with malice, likely terrifying the poor technology as it was glowered at from feet away by four powerful teens.

Robin pressed his lips together, his mind racing, wondering, "How badly had she been hurt? Was Raven okay?" If Slade had drawn blood from their sweet, if a little testy, teammate he was going to have hell to pay! His gloved hands curled into fists at his sides as he continued to glare at the phone as if it were Slade himself looking back with his stupidly smug bi-colored mask. He would definitely pay…

Cyborg had no idea how to respond. His one human eye having gotten wider with each pained noise their friend had given. He understood she had not wanted them to hear her, wanting them to try and find her or a way out of this mess. But, alas, Slade's tactic worked beautifully. Hearing Raven in pain, when none of them could anything to help her, was the perfect motivation for them to hop on this band wagon and end this case. He already had ideas of how to capture Slade should it come to them meeting him face to face for the trade. Cracking his metallic knuckles, he started viciously clacking away at the keyboards, opening the link to the call and hoping to isolate background noises; anxious to see if there would be any trace clues as to where he was keeping Raven.

To be honest, the one most affected by this development would have to be Beast Boy. His mind flooded with all the memories of Raven, the suffering she had endured at the hands of Trigon as he forced her to hurt her friends; the fondness he felt for her in all the times she had helped him. It all came down on him in that one moment, the one moment she had let out a pained moan caused by whatever Slade had done. Everything boiled down to this. This moment. This pained cry emitted from her lips burned into his memories, forever etched by whatever abuse Slade had dealt her. His fists clenched tighter, his petite green body shaking with anger, he was ready to rip Slade's throat out and _damn_ the consequences! A broken growl ripped from his throat as his knuckles connected with a nearby wall, finding relief as his pent up rage forced itself into the unsuspecting brick. "He hurt her… He hurt her just like he promised and we could have prevented it!" he hissed beneath his breath, his eyes filling agony and despair as he realized the unfairness of the situation.

The rest of the team regarded their changeling companion, their brows furrowing in mixed reactions to his justly spoken words. Each of them had flinched at the first phrase, each equally blaming themselves for the failure to keep Raven from harm. Yet, it was Starfire, the one who had encountered Slade earlier with Beast Boy who drew herself near enough to place her hand upon his shoulder. As her soft hand fell upon his shoulder, he turned away from her, chewing at his lower lip as he battled internally with his own emotions; Knowing she would understand. The urge to hug the little green mutant filled her, though Star knew it wouldn't be welcomed in this moment. "Do not worry friend Beast Boy, if I know friend Raven, she wouldn't blame us for gathering information before we tried to find a way to get her free and prevent Slade from his evil conclusion. Whatever that may be."

Tilting her head at his silence she heaved a soft sigh and looked down, her form floating a bit closer to the floor as her own guilt washed over her, "you are not the only one to blame," she raised sad, green eyes to him, "for I was also there when Slade got away." Her teeth nibbled with worry at her lower lip as she remembered the events, her frustration at not having captured him returning full swing. It was the largest Titan's next words that had everyone wondering just what their next step would be.

"Guys, Raven would never blame us for this, she knows how we work. She has been with us for so long, we are practically the only family she has. We are the only ones who understand her best. After everything we have been through do you not think she has faith in us? That we will do what is right and still save her from him?" A hand lifted, rubbing at the fleshy side of his face as he looked at them with a calm expression, though his eyes told of the turmoil held deep within, Raven's pain and haunting, agonized sounds daunting on his mind. "We now know he means what he says. I think we have a chance. Granted it is something we never wanted to have to do… but for Raven we would do most anything for her safe return. I vote we get the things he wanted and then set up a trap, for when he wishes to make the trade." His voice trailed off, meandering thoughts still adrift in his mind as he rubbed idly at his temple once again. A stray sentence ran across his thoughts, _'That's even if he intends to return her at all… what if this is another one of his ploys to use her?'_ He could feel his blood run cold, the mere thought of Raven not coming home to them pressing heavily on his soul as his expression briefly fell, reflecting the bitterness of the idea. He forced it from his mind, shaking at his head as he realigned his features, regarding the group as he had before. His eye widening as their familiar faces held a whole new light, one of hope and rampant ideas.

Robin spoke, the excitement palpable as new plans started to form in his mind's eye, becoming evident in his tone. "Cyborg is right… all we have to do is get the items, and get Raven back without letting Slade succeed in whatever he is planning. This is nothing compared to what we have endured before!"

Starfire smiled softly at her friends, this is why she stayed, no matter how hard things became they somehow always found a way to persevere, always finding a way to beat the odds. It warmed her alien heart every time she saw how strong they were in the face of impossible odds. "Glorious! We have saved this world once before; even the universe, saving friend Raven from a devious human will be nothing compared to what we have already accomplished!" Her shrill exclamation filled the void with her own excitement as she slammed her right fist into the palm of her left. "Friends, we must make haste and save our friend before she misses out on the next pizza and movie night!"

They all turned to Beast Boy, expecting him to crack some joke about what Raven would do when she returned safely to them, or how he would pummel Slade with one of his many forms. But the green Titan did something they rarely saw from him, "Guys, what if after all of this, Raven doesn't even want to come back? What if our trap doesn't work and Slade gets what he wants? What if Slade goes back on his word and doesn't even give Raven back, we could be meeting with another one of his robots that disguises as him for the trade off, how do we know it is even him when we get there?"

His doubts, though dampening the room, were very much things they all had tried not to think of. Leave it to the funny guy to point out the harsh reality, when everyone was trying to motivate themselves out of their depression.

Robin stepped forward, almost even with Star as he looked Beast Boy dead in the eye. He saw the guilt, the regret, the hopeless look in his teammate's eyes; and yet, this only gave him stronger resolve. "Beast Boy… No matter what, we will get her back. And once we do, you can enjoy her verbal abuse and her sending you to alternate dimensions when you bug her once again to your heart's content." His lips twitched as a few select memories filtered through his mind after such a statement. But he continued on, knowing more was yet to be put in front of their green comrade to solidify his own determination.

Again, Robin spoke, "Of all of us, you are her closest friend; you are the one that she talks to the easiest when it comes to things she cannot really let loose for fear of her emotions going haywire. You are the one person in this whole world Raven would fight tooth and nail to save even if the rest of us are in danger." He stepped closer, resting his hand on Beast Boy's shoulder as he nodded softly, "And that is because no matter what she did to you, no matter what she said to you, you always came back and made sure you were there when she needed someone most and the rest of us couldn't see it." Robin smiled softly, giving a gentle squeeze to Beast Boy's shoulder, as if to reaffirm him, "If anyone can come up with a plan on the fly to save her when things go wrong… it's your Beast Boy… it's you."

A cumulative smile raced across the group, a shift in attitude lifting from the changeling as Robin's speech came to a close. Beast Boy's entire demeanor changed, his chest swelling with pride as his shoulders drew back, a strong, determined light within his gaze shining out as he smirked, cheekily responding, "You're right, 'cuz if anyone is gonna pull on her cloak while she is trying to meditate, or crack stupid jokes and get her to smile one of those rare smiles, it's sure as hell gonna be me!" The strength in his voice as he said this left them all to breathe a sigh of relief. It would be horrible to lose not just one but two Titan's in this struggle. They needed their jokester if they were going to get through this with as little emotional damage as possible. And he needed to remember just who he was to this team. He was the emotional strength which carried them, kept them light hearted and laughing through even the darkest of times, guiding them. All he needed was his genuine attitude, and to remember exactly who he was to this team.

* * *

 **Hey Everyone! Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed and please feel free to review!**

 _ **\- Ivory out**_


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